The One with No Voice
by amigops
Summary: She doesn't have much to say. She doesn't usually get along with people. Yet here she is, being held prisoner by the sea and these so called pirates. What's a girl to do? ?xOC You'll find out when you R&R DO NOT COME TO CONCLUSIONS! You'll be wrong
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece or any of the characters (except the ones I made up)

"I can think in my head of the sounds. I can form words, sentences, conversations; I can even sing, No one knows though. No one can ever know. They can't read my mind. I am silent. They can't here me. Only I can hear me, and no one else. It's not that I can't, it's that I have no trust left, and I won't…"

The Merry Go sailed through the sea toward the island called Seuni. It was a fall island. Leaves decorated most of the region. The rest was coated with a delicate, golden sand that eventually washed i nto the sea. A lighthouse stood to the far side of the island on a large cliff, next to a boating dock. On the other side, were the unpopulated bluffs that hung over the vast, blue ocean. Nestled in the center was the small town of Autumn Harbor. There was not much to see here. Nothing at all. Just a small little village, a food market and pharmacy, a diner, a tavern, and a city hall. Not much else. Next to that, leading far back to engulf the rest of the island, was a giant forest. The trees were covered in marvelous reds, oranges,  
yellows, and browns. All different shades, and all beautiful.

It was near the middle of the night. A few clouds covered small portions of the sky and the tip of a crescent moon. The moonlight cast shadows across the island as the stars twinkled in the backdrop. Quietly, The Merry Go slipped into port. Nami and Sanji lowered the gangplank and stepped off the ship on to the deck below. They tied the ships mooring line to a pole as Zolo dropped anchor. Luffy hopped down from his perch on the stern and watched his crew ready the ship. He looked at Chopper who appeared at his side. "Do you know what you need?" He asked, crouching down to look at the small reindeer in the eyes.

"Aye aye captain. Just a couple medicines and bandages should do it." Chopper replied.

"Good!" Said Luffy, smiling. "Nami can go with you. Me and the others will be around, okay?"

Chopper nodded and walked off the ship as Nami followed closely behind.  
"So, where are you guys headed?" Luffy asked once they were alone.

"I'd like to check out that old light house. Imagine the history!" Usopp gushed. Zolo rolled his eyes.

"What about you Zolo?" Luffy asked. Zolo shrugged.

"I guess I'll just see if they have a tavern around here." He said glumly.

"I'll be around." Sanji said to Luffy before he wandered off.

"Alright, I'll just go find food. We need to stock up!" Luffy noted.

The boys went their separate ways without noticing someone watching them. High on the bluffs, a small figure was silhouetted against the dark sky, looking down at the scene below. She sat on the ground with her chin rested on her knees. A slight breeze blew her long, snow-white hair forward. Her pale blue eyes looked distant and sparkled in the moonlight. She wore a sky blue top that laced in the front, a torn, jean miniskirt, black boots, and black biker gloves that also laced in the front. On her hips rested a leather belt with a knapsack and two folding fans attached to the sides. She grew more and more fascinated with the newcomers and debated whether or not it would be smart to investigate. Why not? What harm could it do?

Chopper and Nami walked into the pharmacy. "Do you have your list Chopper?" Nami asked him. Chopper nodded and pulled out the piece of paper. He handed it to the man behind the counter.

"Up a bit late to be shopping, don't you think?" He said to Chopper.

"You never know when there could be an emergency!" He replied.

Meanwhile, Zolo sat in a dimly lit cavern with a drink. He stared at the table for a while and slid his mug across the table from one hand to the other. A waitress walked over to him and held out her hand for the money. He tossed her a doubloon and she left him alone.

The girl climbed down off the bluffs and cautiously headed toward the ship. Sanji walked by on his way to find Luffy. The girl closed her eyes tight and tried to look invisible. Apparently, she was to him, for he continued to keep walking. She opened her eyes and relaxed a little. She waited until he was out of sight and then continued. 

Luffy sat at the bar in the local diner as villagers began to gather around. "How can he do that?" Someone asked.

"It must be magic!" Said another. They all gazed in amazement at Luffy as he shoved plate after plate of food in his mouth.

"Well!" The owner laughed. "I don't believe I've ever seen someone able to eat so much food!" He exclaimed. "You're going to make me rich boy!"

"Really?" Luffy said, glancing up. "How's that?" He asked, turning back to his food.

"IF YOU DON'T HAVE ANY MONEY, STAY OUT OF MY RESTAURANT!" The owner roared as he kicked a rather confused Luffy out the door and on to the cobble-stoned street.

The girl approached the strange ship. She stood in front of the stern and gazed up at the dark shape. She couldn't see much in the darkness, but she could see vague details. She was still curious. She glanced around her and made sure no one was looking. She placed a hand on the ship. "Excuse me miss. Have you seen a kid wearing a straw hat around here?" The girl jumped at the sound of a voice behind her. She turned around quickly to come face to face with a boy with sandy-blond hair. He looked pretty classy in his pinstriped, black suit. His hair had a well-groomed glisten to it as well. He looked at her quizzically. She shook her head no to answer his question. "Hm," He said. "Well, okay. But if you do see him, tell me." The girl nodded. Sanji started to walk away. Then he turned around. The girl was leaned over the dock with two hands on the ship. "Wait a second." Said Sanji. The girl was startled again. This time, when she jumped, she lost her balance and hit her head on the stern of the ship before falling in the water.

Sanji sat, stunned for a moment. He knew something was wrong when she didn't surface after a few seconds. Sanji tore off his jacket and shoes and jumped into the water. It was dark and the salt from the water stung his eyes, making it almost impossible to see. He saw a figure in the water just below him and swam down farther. He began to run out of breath, but continued on. He reached out a hand in front of him and grabbed on to her arm. He jerked hard and began to pull her to the surface. He struggled for air, but still had a good six feet to go before reaching the surface. He shoved the girl in front of him and forced her to the surface. Giving one final thrust,  
he flipped her onto the dock before climbing up himself. He gasped for breath, but knew his job wasn't done yet.

He crawled over to where she lay unconscious. He pinched her nose closed and lifted her chin. He pressed his lips to hers and gave three, short breaths. He placed his hands on her chest and pressed down firmly, another three times. He checked her pulse…it was fine. She began to jerk around. Her blue eyes flashed open and she began to cough up water and blood. She took one look at the blood and began to freak out. Her breath became short and fast and her pulse began to beat uncontrollably. Sanji grabbed a hold of her shoulders and got her to calm down. She began to shake violently. "Hey! It's okay!" Sanji told her. His attempts to comfort her worked a little, but she was still scared out of her wits. Sanji looked at her, dead in the eye. Her eyes were distant though. As if she were looking right through him.  
She closed her eyes tight. Sanji still held her shoulders. She stopped shaking and took a quick glance into his eyes before turning away. "Wow!" Sanji gushed. "You really scared me for a minute there." He gave a little chuckle. He couldn't be sure, but he thought he could see a trace of a smile on her face. Then it disappeared completely. She reached up her hand and grabbed her head. A trickle of blood came down from where she had hit her head. She took one look and her eyes flickered shut and she went limp. Sanji had no idea what to do. He took her up in his arms and ran on the ship. He took her down below into one of the unoccupied rooms and set her on the bed. Ripping off one of his sleeves, he pressed it onto her forehead. Then, he ran out of the room and left her to go find the others, but most of all Chopper.

Chopper, Sanji, Nami, Zolo, and Usopp, returned ten minutes later. They all gathered into the small room where Sanji had left the strange girl. Chopper reached into his backpack and pulled out a few things. He placed a stethoscope on her chest and listened to her heart and lungs. Next, he gently removed Sanji's make-shift bandage and revealed the gash that stretched from her hair line to her ear. He took out a bottle of rubbing alcohol and cleaned the wound. He bandaged her up and turned to the others. She should be okay in a few days. "For now, she still has water in in her lungs and possibly internal breathing that I'll have to keep an eye on." He told them. "Sanji, help me get her to her house. We should probably-" Chopper was cut off by Luffy screaming. They could here him running in circles on deck. Then he stopped. "Hey! Where are you guys?" He asked.

"We're down here, Luffy!" Chopper answered. Luffy ran below deck to the others.

"We have to go now! I'm being chased by an angry mob!" Yelled Luffy.

"Not again! Nami said as everyone ran on deck to set sail.

The girl just laid there. She could sort of hear what they were saying, but she was to delusional to really pay attention. She slowly opened her eyes. 'Where am I!" She thought, sitting up. It was a small room. She was on a bed. There was a desk to one side, next to a door. There was a closet on the other side of the door and a dresser next to that. Then she felt something. She felt as though she were gently rocking, back and forth. The wood creaked. She slowly climbed out of the bed. A tremendous amount of pressure seemed to come down on her, causing her knees to buckle. She fell to the ground. Then, she grabbed hold of the edge of the bed and lifted herself up. She had a terrible headache and her throat felt dry. She lifted her hand to her head and felt the bandage. She narrowed her eyes in curiosity. The wood was cold under her feet as she made her way to the door and out into the hallway.

"Why do I get the strange feeling we've forgot something?" Sanji said looking at Chopper. The two stood by the side of the ship and looked out to sea.

She walked down the hall and began to realize she was on a boat. She walked up the stairs and on deck. "Who are you?" An orange haired girl said, walking up to the stranger.

"Oops." Said Sanji and Chopper in unison. 


	2. Chapter 2

Author's note: Just to let you know, in case you didn't already. I got a rude review that was totally pathetic. I love getting reviews and tips, but I don't need to have my writing insulted. :p I'm very grateful to exax who stood up for me. That was really nice. Anyway, I don't pay attention to reviews like that so don't waste your time writing them.

"I'm trapped at sea on a ship full of strangers. I don't know why I'm here. It's nothing new though. sigh If only they knew. If only everyone knew. My past isn't a pleasant one. I have a bleak outlook on the future as well. I have learned by now, that I can never grow too attached to someone. I will always regret it later. So I will not talk to them, as I have shunned everyone else who dares to enter my life."

The girl just stood there and stared, wide-eyed at her surroundings. Then, to everyone's surprise, she took a walk around the ship, examining everything it had in store.

"Who is she?" Nami asked Sanji.

"She's that girl we saved last night. I guess in all the confusion we just sort of…." Sanji trailed off.

"YOU FORGOT TO BRING HER HOME!?!" Nami yelled in Sanji's face.

'I'm going to go talk to her." Luffy said, completely ignoring Nami and Sanji. He followed her to the stern which she had begun trying to climb. "Hi!" He said to her. She jumped down and looked at him with a vacant stare. Luffy just stared back with the same expression. By now, the others had joined them.

"What's your name?" Zolo asked. The girl stared blankly at him and blinked a few times. Zolo fidgeted.

"You think she's deaf? Usopp asked.

"Ask her!" Nami whispered to him.

"Hey girl! Are you deaf?" Usopp asked. To everyone's surprise, she shook her head, no. Chopper was the first to break the silence.

"Then why don't you answer?" He asked. Luffy, who was still standing next to her, turned his head to look at her. Then he nodded his head. Everyone looked at him curiously.

"Are YOU deaf? She said her name is Sen." Luffy replied, simply.

"HUH??" Everyone said. Sen looked at Luffy. He nodded again. Then he looked at everyone else.

"Didn't you here her?" He asked. The crew was terribly confused.

"What exactly is going on here, Luffy?" Nami asked.

"Yea! I don't get it." Sanji agreed. Luffy looked at them all suspiciously.

"You really can't here her, can you?" He said. The crew took one last look at Sen. Still nothing. Her eyes stared blankly past them, as she sat there in silence.

"No. We can't here anything." Chopper answered. "The better question is, what are YOU hearing?" Luffy looked back at Sen. Their eyes met. They stared at each other with the same, blank gaze.

"She says she doesn't know either. She says she isn't saying anything." Luffy said.

"Well," Zolo said, yawning, "This is too confusing for me." He said before retreating below deck.

"I don't understand," Nami said, stepping forward. "How could this be possible?" Sen looked panicked. Before another word could be said, she ran off to the bow of the ship.

"Should we follow her?" Usopp asked.

"I don't know." Sanji answered. "She sure is pretty though!" He gushed, with the unmistakable heart in his eye. Nami covered her face with her hand and sighed at Sanji's shallowness.

Authors Note: Sorry for the shortened chapter! They'll be longer, I promise! 


	3. Chapter 3

"I have many secrets. None of them can I tell. They are the secrets of my past. I lock them up, away from the world. I hide them, so I don't hurt anyone, like they hurt me. These new pirates are not my friends, nor my acquaintances. I am trapped against my will and would love nothing more than to escape. I know I can't trust them, just like everyone else in my life. I will build my wall once again. The one they call Luffy may be able to see into my eyes like open doors, but that doesn't mean I can't shut the door and lock it forever."

Sen had run below deck a while ago and found an empty room. She thought she could hide out there until they hit land. No dice. About an hour later, there was a gentle knock on her door. She stood up to go open it. She saw Sanji at the door with a tray of food. "Hey Sen." He said. "Just thought you might be hungry. You haven't eaten in two days." Sen peered at him suspiciously. She didn't want to accept anything from anyone right now….but it was true. She hadn't eaten in a while and began to notice her hunger. She looked at the blond-haired boy. He looked innocent enough. With a sigh, she opened the door wider and let him come in. He smiled happily and handed her the tray. She took it too her bed and sat down. Sanji remained standing just a few feet in the room. Sen looked at him with her distant eyes. Then she pointed to a chair across from the bed.  
Sanji followed her instructions and sat down. Sen stared out the window and took a bite from the plate in the center of the tray. Her eyes continued to gaze out the window at the sunset on the open sea. Then she stopped chewing. Her eyes widened and she looked at the plate. She then dropped the fork and shoved the whole plate in her face. Sanji sat on the edge of his seat and watched her, smiling. 'Wow! This is really good!' Sen thought. Sanji laughed a little.

"You're welcome!" he said. "Glad to see you like it so much." Sen stopped and put the plate down. She looked at Sanji, blankly. She realized she had given in and put trust into him. For this, she was mad at herself. She sighed and reached into a knapsack that hung on her belt. She took out a small chalkboard and a piece of white chalk. The chalk scratched lightly against the board as she wrote. When she was finished, she handed the board to Sanji. He read it and smiled. 'Thank you' Sen had written. Sanji was a little disheartened when Sen turned back to the window and built up the wall of tension between them again. He knew that meant he should leave. He picked up the empty tray and walked out the door, closing it behind him. Sen turned when she heard the door close and stared at it for a brief minute.

On deck, the crew was busy with a game of cards. They laughed and shouted and threw cards at each other. Nami walked around, lighting lanterns. "Alright everyone! The name of the game is Black Jack!" Usopp announced. Nami sat back down as Usopp dealt out the cards. Sen heard their laughter and crept quietly up on deck to investigate. She took a cautious step toward the crew and watched them intently. Nami was the first to notice her.

"Come on Sen!" She called. "We're just starting a new game!" Sen hesitated for a moment. One game couldn't hurt, could it? Besides, she was good at cards. She walked timidly toward the others.

"Got a spot for you over here!" Sanji said, placing a hand on the empty spot next to him. Sen hesitated again, but then walked over and sat down.

"You know how to play Black Jack?" Usopp asked her. She nodded her head. "Okay then! Let's start!"

The kids stayed awake till late in the evening. Sen was finally starting to warm up to the crew. She had won almost every game!  
She was smiling and for a brief second, they thought they heard her snicker. The lanterns had begun to die out and everyone was about ready to drop. "Well, that's enough for me." Nami said, standing up and stretching. "I'm going to turn in."

"Me too." Zolo agreed. The rest of the crew nodded and began to stand up, while Usopp gathered the cards. Sanji offered a hand to help Sen up. She was pretty out of it and took it, gratefully. The two stumbled toward the stairs. Sen leaned a little too far to the left, and she would have fallen over had Sanji not steadied her. She looked up at him and smiled weakly. He couldn't be sure, but he thought he saw her mouth the words 'Thank you'. Sanji smiled back and chuckled.

"Less getchew to…uh…mmm…ss..ssleep." Sanji stuttered. Sen smiled and let him guide her to her room. She made it to her door and walked in. She turned around to look at Sanji and smiled. He looked into her eyes, but was discouraged to find the same, blank gaze. "Goodnight." He murmured. Sen smiled once again and closed the door. She took one step toward her bed and passed out on the floor. 


	4. Chapter 4

"I am angry at myself. Last night was a night I truly regret. I believe I may be growing soft. I am allowing these pirates to enter my life, which I swore I'd never do. Something is happening to me. I feel I'm changing in a way I didn't think possible. My wall is crashing down and I have to catch it before it's to late. If it isn't already."

Sen woke up with another headache. Probably from the lack of sleep or something. There was a knock at her door. She sat up and opened it. It was Luffy. "Hey Sen! Whatcha doing sleeping on the floor like that?" He asked her. She stared into his eyes. "Oh," Luffy replied. "Well, are you hungry? Sanji's got breakfast ready!" Sen nodded her head slowly. "Come on then!" Luffy said. He reached out his hand to help her up.

The two walked side by side into the galley. The rest of the crew had already begun eating, while Sanji put down a couple more plates. Sen took a seat next to Zolo. She hadn't really paid much attention to him in the past three days. He sort of half smiled when she sat down. "Hey kid." He said. Sen looked at him funny. Did he just call her kid? Sure she was two years younger, but she was no kid!

Breakfast took a good, solid hour. After they were finished, the crew went about their daily routine. Luffy sat on the sheep head on the stern and looked out to sea, as the sun glinted off his black hair. He held his straw hat in his hand while the sea breeze rushed up to him.

Nami turned the large wooden wheel on the upper deck. Every once and a while, she would glance at the compass in her hand and make a slight adjustment to the wheel.

Zolo was busy sleeping as usual. He lay on his back on a bench near the bow of the ship and covered his face with one arm.

Sanji washed dishes in the kitchen. He reached his arm up and wiped his forehead with the back of his hand, brushing some of the hair out of his face.

Usopp played make-believe with Chopper in the brig, below deck.  
Chopper was the prisoner and it was up to the "mighty Usopp" to save him.

Sen walked around the ship. She was bored out of her mind by now. Seeing the rest of the crew, and having nothing better to do, she returned to the galley. She noticed Sanji washing the dishes. Grabbing hold of the counter next to him, she lifted herself up. Sanji glanced over at her and blushed. "Hi Sen." He said, shakily. Sen brought out her chalkboard and chalk. She scribbled something down and handed it to Sanji. Without stopping his work, he leaned over to look at what she had written. 'Do you want some help?' She had written.

Sanji smiled. "Sure. You want to dry?" He asked. Sen smiled and nodded. She hopped down off her post and took a spot next to Sanji. He handed her a towel and a dish he had just finished washing. They worked silently for a while. There was still the common tension between them, but Sen felt a little more comfortable around him.

Something was bothering Sen. She knew she should probably talk to Sanji about it. But how? She didn't want to talk to him and show him weakness. Then again… She wiped her hands off on her skirt and brought out her board again. Sanji heard the soft scratch and turned to look at what she was writing. 'I have a hypothetical question'. She wrote.

"Shoot." Sanji said. Sen continued to write. 'If you really liked someone, would you tell them. I know it's a stupid question.' S anji was shocked. Was she talking about him? She had to be! Who else could it be?

"Ye-Yea. Of course! I mean, there's always the chance that they'll like you back. I mean, what's not to like?" He said.

Sen half smiled. She erased her message and wrote 'thanks'. Sanji smiled back.

"No problem!" He replied. Sen ran skipped happily out of the galley. Sanji looked after her for a while, then turned back to his dishes.

Usopp burst in a couple moments later. "PIRATES!" He shouted to Sanji.

Author's note: Once again, sorry for shortened chapter! The next one's going to be REALLY awesome.(plot twist. Super one) I promise. Thanks for reading! Don't forget to review. 


	5. Chapter 5

"It's strange, but I feel maybe I am comfortable with these new pirates. I know you can't always trust a first impression, but perhaps it might be a little different this time. Enemy pirates are attacking today. I'd like to see what our plan of action is. I figure, if they are deceiving in battle, it may give me a clue as to whether they are truly trustworthy or not outside of battle."

"PIRATES ARE ATTACKING!!!" Usopp continued to yell as he ran around on deck.

"Would you chill out already." Zolo said calmly. He grabbed Usopp by the collar of his shirt and got him to stop. Sen emerged moments later to see what all the fuss is about.

"Sen. You should stay below deck. It's not safe." Luffy said, walking over to her. Sen glared at him. She crossed her arms and turned up her nose, defiantly. Luffy sighed.

"She said no didn't she." Nami giggled. Luffy nodded with a glum expression. Just then, there was a loud explosion that shook the whole ship! A salty spray flew up from the ocean and drenched Luffy, Sanji, and Chopper. After the starting fire, a whole shower of bullets fell upon the ship.

"Quick everyone! Get in position!" Nami shouted to the crew. Weapons of every sort were retrieved and put into action. Sen watched them scurry about with such precision, it seemed they had done this a million times before. Sanji appeared behind her.

"Sen! You shouldn't be up here! You could get hurt." He told her. She rolled her eyes and gave him a look as if to say 'Please. Are you kidding me?'. Sanji sighed. "Fine."

The other ship grew closer and closer by the second. Sen could see the opposite crew in position. The sun glinted off swords and black cannons stuck out from the side of the vessel. "FIRE!" Luffy yelled suddenly. Usopp pulled on a rope and fired the cannon. A puff of smoke sprang up and the cannon jolted back, releasing the cannon ball. The other ship was close enough for it to make a direct hit on the opposite deck. Splinters of wood exploded everywhere. A few crew members tumbled into the water below. This sent the rest of the crew scrambling around. They grabbed on to ropes and began to swing over to The Merry Go. Zolo, Sanji, and Nami stepped forward, weapons ready.

They easily took out the first few pirates, but then there were more. A lot more. There must have been at least fifty. In other words, the odds were against the Straw Hat Pirates. Swords clanged, fists pounded, bodies fell in the water. Thankfully, the Straw Hats were intact. Unfortunately it wasn't enough. The opponents began to close in. Sen ran up to Sanji. She desperately pointed at the pirates.

"No! You can't help! You don't have anything to fight with!" He said, kicking anyone who got too close. Sen glared at him, but walked away none the less. In front of her was Luffy. She stared wide eyed as His arms pulled back outrageously far and sprang forward to act as a cannon ball and knock out several of his opponents. How was this possible? Then she put two and two together. He must have eaten one of the cursed fruits! Sen moved on to watch the others in fierce battle. She saw Chopper could morph into a larger, stronger size, Nami had a strange stick for a weapon, Usopp had a rather simple sling shot but it could shoot bombs which was pretty neat, Zolo had two Katanas that shined like the morning sun, Sanji liked to kick-

Wait. Where was Sanji? She had just seen him a second ago. "Come on, I could take you any time." Sen heard his voice and followed it to the back of the ship. Sanji was alone and completely surrounded by about ten of the enemy pirates. Some took cheap shots at him, but hat was easily blocked. Sen decided to watch to see if he would be capable of beating these pirates. Sure enough, he soon found a good strategy and mainly used defense. He would block the attacks until the opponents wore themselves out and finally delivered a normal attack to knock them out. It would have worked, if the captain hadn't showed up.

"SANJI!" Zolo yelled. He turned around just in time to see the captain standing behind him.

'This is getting good!' Sen thought. Despite the fact that the captain was a good four feet taller than Sanji and carried a large, flaming bow and arrow, Sanji stood ready and unafraid.

"Say goodbye tiny!" The captain yelled. He seemed to have a large ego. Sanji waited for just the right moment when the arrow was loaded and fired. He blocked the arrow, but since it was on fire, he got burned. Not badly, but it was enough to make him yelp in pain. Without wasting any time, the captain loaded another arrow and fired it. Sanji had no time to react. He shielded his face with his arm. A bright light flashed. He was dead. He had to be. Slowly, his eyes opened. What he saw next shocked everyone. Sen stood in front of Sanji. She held two Tuan Shans in either hand (folding fans). The arrow was caught in between both of them, still flaming. The evil captain's mouth gaped open in disbelief. Sen dropped the arrow as both crews gathered around. Lifting her head she looked the captain dead in the eyes and smiled. In two flashes of light, the captain lay motionless on the deck. His crew gathered around, stunned. A few of them picked him up and ran like cowards back to their ship and sailed away. Sen smiled with satisfaction as she watched them leave. Luffy, Zolo, Nami, Usopp, and Chopper ran up to her and all began talking at once.

"Wow!"

"How'd you do that?" Zolo rustled her hair and Luffy high-fived her.

"Hey you guys! We need to check out the damage!" Usopp called from across the ship. The sun began to set as Sen stood at the rail. Sanji appeared at her side.

"I'm not sure where that came from." He said. "But thanks." Sen looked at him and smiled. "Still not talking, eh?" Sen shook her head no. None the less, she mouthed the words, 'you're welcome'. Sanji gasped a little. Then she did something even more surprising. She looked into his eyes. There was no distance, she was really looking at him. He smiled and got closer to her. Sen smiled.

"Sen! Come here for a minute!" Zolo called. Sen looked down at the deck. Sanji scratched the back of his head. The moment had become awkward. Sen waved a little and ran off to go find Zolo.

"I could kill him." Sanji grumbled, watching Sen leave.

Sen looked around for Zolo at the bow of the ship. "Over here." he said. She saw him sitting on a bench in the shadows.

Sanji wasn't giving up that easily. He would have to be brave and talk to Sen. He had to know if she really liked him. He followed her to the bow and froze dead in his tracks. She was wrapped up in Zolo's arms as he kissed her. 


	6. Chapter 6

"Misunderstandings. That's all I can say. I don't know what to do now. I am alone. No one need find out about my history, my past. How all this came about I'm sure I'll never understand. Now no one else will. My voice is my treasure buried beneath the sands of time." 

He was so incredibly wrong. How could this have happened? He had been so sure of himself and now he didn't know anything. Maybe a long walk around the ship could clear his mind. He stuck a hand in his pocket and brought out a new cigarette. He heard soft footsteps come up beside him. "What's bringing you down?" Nami asked, curiously. Without saying a word, he just sighed and quickened his pace without a single glance in her direction. Nami kept up so he would have no choice but to spill.

"What makes you think something's wrong?" He grumbled, letting a trail of smoke fall from his mouth.

"Whenever you start smoking, it's because you're upset, tired, bored, or you have a craving." Nami noted.

"Well why can't you assume it's the other three things?" Sanji grumbled. Nami rolled her eyes at him.

"Oh come on. I'm a girl. There's no hiding." She said. "Just tell me!"

"Well what if I don't want to talk about it?" He yelled angrily. Nami stepped back. She just looked at him a little confused and backed away.

"I don't know what's wrong with you, but you don't need to take it out on everyone else!" Nami spat. She turned on her heel and stormed off in the other direction. Sanji sighed and looked down at the wooden deck and continued to walk. He had been so full of hope and now...he was nothing. Now he had Nami mad at him on top of everything. This was certainly not what he needed right now.

"We're pulling into port!" Nami yelled from her new position at the wheel. Everyone burst into action and hurriedly readied the vessel. An expression of terror was plastered on Sen's face as she ran on deck and looked around at the island.

'Uh oh' she thought. She ran to go find Luffy. He was near the bow helping Usopp tighten ropes, well, trying to help Usopp but just making matters worse. Sen waved her arms to get his attention.

"Hey Sen!" He said. Sen made hand gestures and tried her best to communicate with him. "Why can't we go to this island?" Luffy asked. Sen was just about to explain when they heard Nami's voice.

"Come on people! We're ready!" She shouted. Luffy's short attention span made him forget all about Sen, and he dashed off the ship in search for food, hardly waiting for the gang plank to be lowered. Sen sighed with frustration and walked down the plank and on to the dock. Looking around, she saw Sanji a few steps ahead of her. She ran to catch up with him, but to her dismay, he wouldn't look at her. A sickening feeling crept over her. Had he seen? She tried waving at him. Now he looked at her, but it was an angry glare. Sen took a step away from him. She brought out the chalkboard.

'Is this about what happened with Zolo?' She asked.

"No! Of course not! WHAT WOULD MAKE YOU THINK THAT!" He spat. Sen blinked a few times, then began to write again.

'It's about Zolo isn't it?' She asked stupidly. Sanji sighed.

"Yes. It is about Zolo. IT'S ALWAYS BEEN ABOUT ZOLO!!" He yelled, unable to contain his anger. He clenched his fists and gazed at the ground with fury.

'Okay okay, I know I probably deserve to be yelled at but-' Before she had the chance to make an excuse. Sanji grabbed the chalk out of her hand and crushed it in his fist.

"I don't want an excuse! I want you to leave me alone! JUST GO AWAY!" Now Sanji took his anger a little too far. Tears began to build in Sen's eyes and she took off running. He knew he might be making a mistake, but what could he do now? He was the one who was heartbroken here. Not Sen. She deserved to be sad...Right? 'Maybe I should talk to her.' He thought. Then he shook off the feeling. No. Anything he might have had with her was over. As this thought dawned on him, he couldn't help but hesitate. Was it really the end? He looked up and took a breath about to say something, then he noticed, she was gone. He sighed and looked back down, his face hidden by his shaggy, blonde hair.

"Hey amigo!" Usopp shouted slapping Sanji on the back. Then he got a good look at his face. "Hey Sanji? What's the matter? You're looking kind of down." He noted. He heard Sanji grumble something. He shoved Usopp's hand off his shoulder. Usopp stopped walking and let Sanji pass. "What's up with that guy?" He asked as Verity came up to him.

"Does anyone ever really know?" She asked, rolling her eyes as the two watched him walk away.

Author's Note: I know it's been a long time coming. Sorry it was a little short! I promise, I'll have good updates soon.


	7. Chapter 7

'He that does not experience hurt, can never experience true love' 

Nami was bent over a map and her compass back on deck. Chopper came over to her. "So exactly what island are we on anyway?" The reindeer asked scratching his head. Nami turned her attention to him.

"This is Kakushigoto," She answered. "It's a summer island. I heard the inhabitants here a pretty rich." She said with a glimmer in her eye. Chopper shook his head with pity.

"Nami, we're not going to steal from these people are we?" He asked, worriedly. Nami smiled.

"We're pirates Chopper. We do what's necessary." Chopper backed away a bit, he wasn't too sure about all this. Nami laughed in spite of herself. "Hey, you know what else I heard?" She asked. Chopper's eyes locked on to her curiously. She leaned in closer and whispered, "I heard this place is haunted." Chopper's fur stood on end and he jumped nearly a foot in the air.

"Yiiipes!" Nami nearly buckled over with laughter. "Aw, Nami. Why'd you have to go and scare me like that?" Chopper grumbled, glaring at the red haired prankster.

The village of Kakushigoto was pretty small. The houses were indeed enormous, but there were not many of them. For some reason, all civilization on the island was built in one spot near the shore. The rest was thick forest and nothing else. Most of the buildings seemed deserted. Well, that is, the lights were all off. Of course, it was late at night, so it could be expected. Despite the absence of life, Luffy had managed to find the only source of food that seemed to be open at this hour. A small restaurant in the heart of the small village cast the only light onto the cobblestone streets of the village.

Luffy sat inside with Usopp as he stuffed his face with anything that even resembled food. Usopp drummed his fingers with frustration against the table. "Are you done yet?" He asked. "I want to go check out the archives in the library. I heard I have descendents here!" He explained proudly. All he heard in return were a couple of muffled grumbles from the food typhoon known as Luffy.

Sanji sat on the dock and gazed out at the ocean. He couldn't stop thinking about her. The first time he saw her back on Seuni. She had been so helpless, lying there in his arms after he rescued her from the sea. He remembered how much she had enjoyed his food the next day and how they had laughed together that night playing cards. He remembered the fight that had taken place not too long ago. How she had looked at him with no fear at all. She didn't need to say anything. He could feel it. 'She loves me!' He thought. 'She has to!' He shoved his fist against the wooden dock next to him. "I'm so stupid!" He yelled out to the dark waters.

Verity walked along with her brother, Zolo by the shore. "So what do you think's got Sanji so upset?" She asked, kicking at the sand. Zolo shook his head.

"Who knows. It's Sanji. He probably just made a bad pie or something." He answered. Verity giggled.

"Well it must have been something big. He was fine right up until the end of that fight." Verity pondered scratching her chin. Zolo thought too.

"The end of the fight..." Then a thought struck him. "Well, I mean..." Verity looked at him.

"What?" She asked. Zolo cleared his throat.

"Well," He leaned in closer and whispered in her ear. Verity's eyes widened and she slapped Zolo. He backed away and blinked a couple of times.

"You kissed Sen!" She screamed. "You idiot! No wonder he's upset!" Verity was steamed.

"What do you mean? What does that have to do with anything?" Zolo asked as he rubbed his cheek.

"Oh like it's not obvious." Verity grumbled crossing her arms.

"Whaaat?" He asked again. Verity scoffed and continued walking, mumbling to herself.

Later, they were joined by Sanji and the rest of the crew. "Has anyone seen Sen?" He asked anxiously. They all shook they're heads and murmured amongst themselves.

"What's wrong Sanji?" Verity asked.

"I can't find her! She's disappeared!" He explained. Now they were all alarmed.

"Well where are Usopp and Luffy?" Chopper asked. Everyone looked to Sanji.

"They said something about the library. We don't have time to go get them. We have to find Sen before she wanders too far...We may lose her for good." He said gravely. The rest of them agreed.

"Let's go find her!" Nami exclaimed.

After a while, Luffy had finally had his fill. Along with Usopp, he traveled down the street to a large building. Through the doors, they could see the walls of books. Usopp walked in first and walked to a particular wall which was lined with books organized alphabetically. Above them was a sign. Printed in golden letters were the words 'Kakushigoto Archives'. Usopp scanned then names. Meanwhile, Luffy scanned the other books. Mystery, Fiction, Sci-Fi, Religious, you name it, they seemed to have it. Of course, Luffy was completely uninterested, but the array colors were quite bright.  
Usopp read allowed the names to himself. "R. Rashiko, Renotsuto, Robosuki...S. Sarai, Secyro," Then he froze. His eyes landed on the next name.

"Luffy! Get a load of this!" Usopp gushed handing over the book to Luffy.

"Sen!"

"Come on Sen!"

"Where are you?"

"Sen!" Sanji called into the empty night air as he pushed through the tangled forest.

"Sanji why would she be here?" Nami asked exasperatedly. "We've been searching for nearly an hour. She could very well be back at the ship!" She whined as a branch smacked her across the arm.

"Yeah. Come on. We should go back. She's not here." Zolo added as he pulled the branch away from her. Sanji whipped around and everyone froze. He looked so different. It was like he had turned into some sort of monster. His eyes were filled with heated anger.

"You," He hissed, pointing an accusing finger at Zolo. "You do not speak." He glared at the nervous samurai. Then he looked around at everyone else who stared back, wide eyed and shock filled. "The rest of you! If you think your not tough enough to walk through a couple trees then what are you doing sailing the ocean for One Piece? Either you're with me to go find Sen. Or you're against me, and you betray her." The last part sounded more like a groan than actual words. They had no choice but to nod obediently and follow him on this strange journey.

"Nami! Sanji! Zolo?" Luffy called into the crisp night air as him an Usopp wandered around anxiously in search of their friends.

"Verity! Chopper!" Usopp continued cupping his hands to his mouth to make his voice travel farther. Luffy's eyes darted around as he gripped the book tighter. Suddenly, the hairs stood on the back of his neck. He felt Usopp tap him on the shoulder and he spun around.

"Sen?"

Sanji continued to trek through the deep forest with the rest of the gang behind him. They talked amongst themselves as quietly as they could. It was anything to get their minds off of the eerie, threatening feeling that seemed to fill the air and choke their every breath. Then, without any notice, Sanji froze. Nami and Verity nearly ran into him. ⌠What is it!■ Nami asked in a hushed voice. For some strange reason, it seemed necessary to be deathly quiet.

"Do you see it?" Sanji asked, gazing dumbfounded ahead of him. The rest of the group looked on as well, their mouths agape. Verity who hadn't looked yet shook her head.

"See what?" She asked Sanji. He nudged her with his elbow and she finally turned her attention to it. Right there in front of them was an enormous palace. It looked completely deserted. The crumbled, stone walls were overgrown with vines. One particular wall had been all but entirely reduced to rubble. Nami shuddered as a heavy feeling came over them all. Then, what they all had been slightly anticipating. A rustling in the brush.


	8. Chapter 8

The gang looked around frantically for the source of the sound. Voices grew louder and louder. They came from every direction. Howls and moans; whispers and snickers. Then the eyes appeared. At first, they thought they were seeing things, that it was nothing at all. Faint, yellow, marble-looking, things floated all about them. They seemed to dance up and down in circles, all in unison. The Straw Hat pirates were frozen where they stood at this mysterious sight.

As if the dancing marbles weren't frightening enough, now streams of what appeared to be black smoke came at them in pairs of two. A closer look revealed it to not be streams of smoke, but black…arms? With talon like fingers reaching out at them.

Verity tried her best to hide behind Zolo. Unfortunately, he was just as shaken up as her. "I told you!" Nami whispered to Chopper who was shivering uncontrollably. The five friends huddled together as closely as possible. Sanji finally mustered the courage to speak up.

"What do you want!" He ordered, trying desperately to make his voice sound bold. To everyone's surprise, the movement of the strange figures stopped. The arms faded away, but the yellow eyes continued to stare holes through the terrified pirates. The dead silence made them all extremely uncomfortable. Then the movement started again. Only now, if you listened closely, you could here chanting. The words were without any doubt, unable to recognize, but it didn't take a genius to realize that it was bad. The black arms returned and seemed to twirl around them in mystifying patterns. Sanji tried to sweep it out of the way with his hands but with little effect. The chanting now grew into singing and a tired feeling overcame the friends.

"What's going on?" Chopper asked as one by one, they would fall to the ground in a deep sleep. First Verity fell back and when Zolo turned around to investigate, his knees buckled and he fell as well. Nami soon passed out against a tree, sliding down until she was sitting cross-legged. Now it was just Chopper and Sanji.

"Stay awake with me Chopper!" Sanji ordered.

"Aye aye Captain Silvers," the doctor yawned. Sanji looked over confused. Then, his only companion drifted off as well. He looked around frantically for any means of escape, but all he could see was the tantalizing arms. The hypnotic sound of their singing soon made his eyelids droop. As he fell to the ground, the words escaped him.

"What have you done with Sen,"

The voices became muffled as the chef became delirious. As much as he fought, he eventually lost it in the end, with the last picture in his head being that of Sen standing over the top of him.

A/N: Yes, I know it was a short chapter but I felt like being mean and leaving you with a cliff hanger. :P Well you'll just have to keep reading to find out what happens next won't you? Oh, for those of you (mainly all of you) who don't know who Verity is or who didn't read the review I posted about it, she is a character from my friend's story. There are three of us who have three different stories about three different characters. Mine being Sen. Well one of my friends made up Verity and I hadn't remembered I never told you guys about her before so that's how she ended up in my story. She doesn't play a big part so don't be worried or anything. I'll let you know as soon as her story is posted for those of you who would like to know more. Once again, sorry about the confusion. Thanks for reading!


	9. Chapter 9

The blond haired boy was awakened by the sound of wheels against gravel. With much effort, he managed to open his eyes and look at his surroundings. He came face to face with iron bars looking out into the woods as trees passed by. He was indeed moving.

Turning his head to one side, he saw the rest of the crew sitting around him in what appeared to be a wooden board. That's when the whole thing came together. The iron bars, the wooden board, the moving, they were in a cage being pulled by…He sat up, holding his pounding head and saw two, black stallions escorting the contraption.

"Sanji?" he heard Nami's voice. He turned to see the orange haired girl sitting next to him.

"What's happening?" he asked in a raspy, still half asleep voice.

"I'm not sure," Nami responded. "We've been traveling for nearly an hour. We tried waking you up earlier, but you wouldn't move." Sanji nodded.

"What-what were those things?" he finally asked, desperately trying to stop himself from falling into a delirious state. Nami glanced around her, as if to be sure no one could hear. She leaned in closer and whispered.

"I think they were spirits." she told him. Sanji cocked his head to the side and stared at her as if she had lost her mind. She crossed her arms and snubbed her nose at him. "Fine, don't believe me. I'm sure your explanation for all this is way more reasonable." she snapped. Sanji sighed. She did have a point. None of this seemed to make sense. Little did they no, it was only the beginning.

"What's that?" Nami and Sanji looked across the cage to see Zolo pointing in front of them to something in the distance. Everyone made their way over to where he sat with Verity and looked toward where he was gesturing. Now, they were truly confused.

There before them, stood…the castle? The one they had seen earlier? How could that be? If they had been traveling for an hour like Nami had said, there was no way they could be in the same place as before.

They noticed something else as well. It appeared to be virtually unharmed. When they had left it before, it had been reduced to nothing more than rubble. Now, it stood tall and proud with strong stone walls and high towers. The only thing that seemed to remain the same was the desertion of the place and the feeling of something evil lurking about. That's when things got weirder.

'Oh, no,' Nami thought to herself, gazing up at the great fortress. Sanji looked at the pale expression on her face, then took another look at the tower.

"Sen!" he shouted. He began to bang against the bars to get the attention of the girl who stood atop one of the towers and gazed down at them. Standing next to her was a man. He appeared to be about twice as old as them, very fierce looking, as well as malicious. He was dressed in black armor with a gloved hand placed on Sen's small shoulder. He had hard, copper eyes that appeared red when he looked down toward them.

Standing next to him, Sen was clothed in an intricate white dress concealing her arms in a beautiful satin fabric. The neck line revealed her skin to be an eerie white. Her hair was tied neatly in a bun on top of her head with a thorn like crown, made of white gold. Her eyes were cold and emotionless. When she saw Sanji, she turned away. "Sen?" he spoke in a soft voice. He wrapped his hands around the iron bars and watched as she retreated from the terrace.

He could feel the others staring at him. He looked around at their confused faces. He supposed his looked the same. None of this made any sense, Sen being there, the fact that they had traveled for an hour just to end up in the same spot they had started in, and that the castle was completely restored. There were a lot of questions that they wanted answered, but they had no idea it would be the least of their problems.

A/N: Yes. Darn me and my short chapters. It's okay though. I know what I'm doing and I have a lot of good ideas going so you won't be bored for long. In the mean time, I hope I have you all confused because that was my intention. If you are, I've done my job :) I LIVE FOR REVIEWS!!


End file.
